Immigration and Nationality Act (INA)

Immigration and Nationality Act (INA, 1952; as amended)

1) Link to the Text of the Act
Read the statute (8 U.S.C. § 1101 et seq.)

2) Why It Was Done
The INA consolidated earlier immigration laws into a single framework, defining rules for immigration, naturalization, deportation, and asylum. It replaced the patchwork of 19th–early 20th century laws, including the Chinese Exclusion Acts and national origins quotas.

3) Pre-existing Law or Constitutional Rights
Before the INA, immigration law was governed by multiple acts (e.g., Immigration Act of 1924) that imposed discriminatory quotas. The INA unified and modernized U.S. immigration law.

Acts

Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act (IIRIRA)

Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act (IIRIRA, 1996)

1) Link to the Text of the Act
Read the statute (8 U.S.C.)

2) Why It Was Done
IIRIRA was passed to tighten immigration enforcement in response to growing concerns about unauthorized immigration. It expanded deportation grounds, restricted judicial review, and introduced new barriers to legal status.

3) Pre-existing Law or Constitutional Rights
IRCA (1986) introduced employer sanctions and legalization but did not stop unauthorized immigration. IIRIRA built on IRCA’s framework by greatly expanding federal enforcement power, often clashing with due process and constitutional protections.